Page 55 - 38. MRH13-04-Apr2013
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1: This is an X-Acto Third Hand. One of the original alligator
clips is on the left while one of my replacement clamps is on
the right. Unfortunately, these flat clamps didn’t work much
better than the alligator clamps.
1
Another short-coming with the X-Acto tool are the ball joints.
Assuming that you can hold your work in one of the alliga-
tor clips, it is difficult to accurately position the alligator clips
where you need them for gluing or soldering due to the limita-
tions of this type of joint. If you tighten the wing nuts on the
ball joints enough to ensure that the clamps won’t accidently
move, then it is difficult to move the clamps just a little as is
often needed to proper position the item being held.
The Excel Hobby Blades Corp. has a third hand tool which uses
self-closing tweezers mounted on a double ball joint assembly.
However, the short height of the base can be a limitation in
many situations if you need to position the tweezers vertically
but with the tip of the tweezers down. In addition, it appears
to have the same ball joint design as the Xacto.
The Tool Shed - 2
When I get frustrated with a tool I own, my usual response is
to start looking for an acceptable replacement. But rather than
looking for an alternative from hobby venders, I start looking at
tools from professional tool outlets. Among those I check out
are those who cater to jewelers. I have been purchasing tools
from Otto Frei
) in Oakland, California since
the 1970s, long before the Internet became available.
One of the things I realized when I used my X-Acto Third Hand
was that I don’t typically hold things in both alligator clips. That
gave me a lot more options and I selected a Short Third Hand
On Weighted Base made by GRS (Item 104.689):
It sells for $39.75. After using it for several months, it has
proved to be a quality tool which has functioned exactly as
expected. The working faces of the “jaw points” are flat with
2: A GRS Third Hand. It only has a single clamp but that has
not proven to be a shortcoming.
2
MRH-Apr 2013
